This is in response to, “Superbug cases relatively few but a growing threat,” (March 19, Page one). How ironic that the pharmaceutical industry is reluctant to invest in new drug development needed to combat the rapidly expanding list of lethal antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains because it isn't profitable enough. It was the irresponsible, but highly profitable, over-prescription and overuse of their own antibiotics that helped create these new threats in the first place.

As a physician who has worked in the pharmaceutical industry and been critical of many facets of the modus operandi of drug companies, I nonetheless view the jury verdict in the Vioxx case with concern. The article "Jury: Vioxx to blame; $253 million award for widow in 1st case against Merck; Case one of more than 4,200 filed against drugmaker" (Page 1, Aug. 20) states that jurors were shocked about Merck's alleged failure to fully disclose, in a timely way, adverse events associated with Vioxx.

Thank you, Steve Chapman, for questioning our politicians for continuing Nixon's Drug War against Americans who prefer pot instead of other drugs ("Eliminating the costs, fiscal and otherwise, of the drug war," Oct. 10). However, you left out a major motivation why our politicians continue to order the arresting and jailing of Americans who prefer marijuana instead of alcohol or who prefer medical cannabis instead of patented pharmaceutical drugs with risky side effects. Money. It comes down to millions of dollars given to our politicians by those who benefit the most; the liquor industry (who have a monopoly on the only legal recreational drug)

Is Matt Lauer glib? Not according to his good friend Tom Cruise, who was making the rounds of talk shows Monday to promote his new movie, "Valkyrie." Cruise, who notoriously used that word to describe the "Today" show host during a heated 2005 interview, returned to "Today" for the first time since the verbal showdown. An apologetic Cruise said he "came across as arrogant" when he and Lauer sparred over issues including Brooke Shields' use of medication to treat postpartum depression.

Illinois could become the first state in the Midwest to try forming a massive prescription drug-buying pool for seniors to help reduce burdensome costs for medicine. State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock) announced Thursday he is sponsoring a bill, introduced in the General Assembly on Thursday, to create a potentially massive state-administered program open to any Illinois citizen over the age of 65--an estimated 1.4 million people. The program would be based on some of the same principles as buying clubs for retail merchandise, in which large membership pools translates to buying power and lower prices for individuals, Franks said.

The proposed megamerger between Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp. ramps up pressure on other pharmaceutical giants to pool their resources to develop prescriptions faster. Merck's proposed $41.1 billion purchase of Schering-Plough would combine more than $8 billion in drug research in the areas of cholesterol treatment, diabetes drugs, vaccines and biotechnology. These potentially are some of the most lucrative areas the pharmaceutical industry is pursuing to treat unmet medical needs.

As Congress and the American people debate the merits of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is important to examine exactly what is at stake. As an executive of a pharmaceutical company, I will acknowledge at the outset that the pharmaceutical industry stands to benefit from this treaty. As an American, I believe that this agreement will enhance the ability of the United States to compete in world markets and assure our economic leadership in the next century. The agreement concluded between representatives of Canada, Mexico and the United States creates the world's largest and richest market, encompassing 360 million people and a combined gross national product of $6 trillion.

In a continuation of the global consolidation of the pharmaceutical industry, German giant Hoechst AG agreed Thursday to buy struggling U.S. drug company Marion Merrell Dow for $7.1 billion. The purchase, the biggest in the United States by a German company, will make Hoechst the third-largest drugmaker worldwide. The deal was driven by Hoechst's desire to strengthen its position in the United States, the world's largest and most-profitable market, and by the need for greater market power, said company officials and analysts.

When interest rates rise, investors usually head for the medicine cabinet. That's because pharmaceutical stocks have spelled r-e-l-i-e-f in difficult times. They historically perform well six months before and 12 months after a rate-tightening cycle begins. It's a safe bet that drug companies with the largest new-product pipelines will prosper. Furthermore, prices of most of these stocks are quite reasonable now, though that's largely due to the fact the entire industry faces tough issues that strike at the very heart of their long-term businesses.